The present invention relates to a surface effect vehicle, and in particular to a surface effect vehicle which is capable of lifting from a body of water on a cushion of air and moves over the water or ground in a stable manner.
Surface effect vehicles are used for moving just above the water, ground, or a combination of terrains, making them more efficient than either an in water vehicle, like a boat, or a ground vehicle, like an automobile. The reason being that when a vehicle is in contact with the water and the ground there is a large coefficient of friction. However, when a vehicle moves through a medium such as air, the coefficient of friction is substantially reduced. Surface effect vehicles ride on a cushion of air just above a surface, like water, where the friction-reducing cushion aids in the forward movement of the vehicle.
There is an acknowledged difference between flying aircraft and surface effect vehicles. Flying aircraft use the low pressure flow of air over the aircraft wing and the high pressure flow of air beneath the wing to create lift. Whereas, surface effect vehicles use the high pressure flow of air beneath an air foil to produce a cushion of air between the vehicle and a surface to separate the vehicle from the surface. Any forward movement of the surface effect vehicle is from some type of propulsion means. In essence, surface effect can not rise more than a few feet from the surface without redesigning the air foil and providing an elevator. To date, there has been a stabilization problem for surface effect vehicles designed to operate as a boat and as a surface effect vehicle. When departing one medium for another the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic forces on the vehicle are often difficult to control and stabilize. Some vehicles use air flaps on the rear of the vehicle to provide control and stabilization. Such arrangements are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,918,382; 4,151,893 and 4,712,630.
There are several features of the present invention which provide stability to the surface effect vehicle. One of the features is a forward lifting scoop which functions like a pressure ramp to lift the vehicle over rough surfaces. The closest known prior art showing a lifting scoop is U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,783.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a stable surface effect vehicle which overcomes the parting effect when leaving a medium such as water without any noticable control effects.